Unofficial Economic Poll

[Ldychef2k]

People are living in tent cities:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cJNEeI-lFM&feature=related

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26776283/

http://www.krdo.com/Global/story.asp?S=11595188

15.7 million people are out of work: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf

People are hungry:
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/heal...117_Hungry_millions__USDA_documents_leap.html
Excerpted below

USDA: Hunger rises in U.S.
By Alfred Lubrano

Inquirer Staff Writer

America is hungry and getting hungrier, with 49 million people - 17 million of them children - last year unable to consistently get enough food to eat, according to a report released yesterday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

These figures represent 14.6 percent of all households, a 3.5-percentage-point jump over 2007, and they are the largest recorded since the agency began measuring hunger in 1995.

Of those 49 million, 12 million adults and 5.2 million children reported experiencing the country's most severe hunger, possibly going days without eating. Among the children, nearly half a million in the developmentally critical years under age 6 were going hungry. That's three times the number in 2006.

The study documented both "low food security," which describes people unable to consistently get enough to eat, and "very low food security," in which people reported being hungry various times over the year but were unable to eat because there wasn't enough money for food.



All that said, I do not believe we are suffering anything like our grandparents and great grandparents did during the great depression. It may all be ahead of us, but right now there are still folks buying big screen TVs and video games, so we can't possibly compare our society to that of the 1930's. Yet we dare not be lulled into a false sense that all will be well...there are 250 people who were living in tents on a riverbank here in my city who can tell you definitely that it takes very little to lose it all.

 

[maf8009]

no doubt this is a depression... out company (insurance) has changed its pay structure to keep life insurance agents. Most of us our income has fallen 50 % to 80 % and its getting worse. I do NOT know what else to do? we have cut back on everything and I am selling chickens on the side... (by the way a BOOMING business)

 

[FarmerChick]

People are living in tent cities:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cJNEeI-lFM&feature=related

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26776283/

http://www.krdo.com/Global/story.asp?S=11595188

15.7 million people are out of work: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf

People are hungry:
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/heal...117_Hungry_millions__USDA_documents_leap.html
Excerpted below

USDA: Hunger rises in U.S.
By Alfred Lubrano

Inquirer Staff Writer

America is hungry and getting hungrier, with 49 million people - 17 million of them children - last year unable to consistently get enough food to eat, according to a report released yesterday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

These figures represent 14.6 percent of all households, a 3.5-percentage-point jump over 2007, and they are the largest recorded since the agency began measuring hunger in 1995.

Of those 49 million, 12 million adults and 5.2 million children reported experiencing the country's most severe hunger, possibly going days without eating. Among the children, nearly half a million in the developmentally critical years under age 6 were going hungry. That's three times the number in 2006.

The study documented both "low food security," which describes people unable to consistently get enough to eat, and "very low food security," in which people reported being hungry various times over the year but were unable to eat because there wasn't enough money for food.



All that said, I do not believe we are suffering anything like our grandparents and great grandparents did during the great depression. It may all be ahead of us, but right now there are still folks buying big screen TVs and video games, so we can't possibly compare our society to that of the 1930's. Yet we dare not be lulled into a false sense that all will be well...there are 250 people who were living in tents on a riverbank here in my city who can tell you definitely that it takes very little to lose it all.

Following right on the heels of hunger---is no basic medical care at all!

Different times just shows a slightly different type of depression.

 

[FarmerChick]

no doubt this is a depression... out company (insurance) has changed its pay structure to keep life insurance agents. Most of us our income has fallen 50 % to 80 % and its getting worse. I do NOT know what else to do? we have cut back on everything and I am selling chickens on the side... (by the way a BOOMING business)

Hopefully there are still ways for you to cut back and remain in your home and survive. Keep those pennies screaming you pinch them so tight!

Glad your chickens can help you!!

 

[SKR8PN]

I do automotive repair and have been operating my small 3 bay shop here at home for over 20 years. The first 5 years I did it part time while working 40+ hours in a dealership, then went full time self employed. We kinda saw the economic writing on the wall back in '06, so we decided to sell the Jet Ski's and get as far out of debt, and as self sufficient as we could. We completed the "getting out of debt" when I sold the race car and paid off the last remaining big bill, the HELOC.
I have seen my business change quite a bit in the last 2 years. I am seeing more, older vehicles that need major repairs, but the owners just do not have the funds to get them repaired. Lot's and LOT'S of "bandaid" repairs being requested, and I HATE to do that.
I have also seen an overall drop in volume, partially do to the economy, but also because my customer base is either A)dying off, or B) moving to were they think they can get a job.
We just do like everyone else, and just hunker down a little bit more and try to spend a little less.

 

[FarmerChick]

SKR you were so smart to see the writing on the wall in 06 and change yourself toward the better for survival.

very interesting to read about your changes and how it all effects you.

 

[FarmerChick]

I wonder "where" people move to get jobs?


I saw the Hoover Dam special on tv. It was so interseting about the construction. During bad times everyone heard tons of workers were required and they "hit the road" for the dam site...tent cities etc. just to get there and find out the dam was not ready to be actually built yet.

That is how Las Vegas got vaulted into big existence.

Problem now is there is "nothing" about this promised land out there anymore.....get in the car, pick up and go where??? Ugh


I saw a special on Hawaii...wow, their lower/middle class are suffering...even with high costs on the islands, throw in economic bad times and you got people having to leave the island for mainland....well come here and do what?


Anyone know where the heck people are going?

 

[me&thegals]

SKR8PN--Sorry you're having slower business. I can totally understand, as that's exactly what we're doing with our car right now. Just hobbling it along until we have to make the big decisions about it.

The news today is that only 11,000 jobs were lost nationwide in Nov. In Jan it was between 500,000 and 700,000 (bad memory). The job loss rate is slowing. I'm heartened to hear about Obama's job summit yesterday as well as his/his staff's meeting with a spectrum of people/business across the nation to come up with solutions.

As for "where," I have no idea! Is there any type of business or industry that is actually growing right now? The gov't $ is helping some, but I believe those are mostly temporary jobs. My parents hired some part-time carpenters through stimulus money, but it was very specific to zip-code jobs and once those jobs are done, the job is ended.

 

[Wildsky]

I wonder "where" people move to get jobs?

We moved in 2007. We had already sold our condo a few years before that, and paid off all our debt, paid off my car as well - then we had nothing other than utilities.
We lived in San Diego. In 2006 my husbands grandfather died, and we were offered the house, here in Nebraska. We pretty much dropped everything, packed up our stuff in a medium sized moving van (Uhaul thing) and drove out here.
I drove a borrowed car (SUV bigger than my car) with the two kids, two cats and two fish in a bucket. My hubby drove the moving van. TOok us three days to get here!
A few months later my FIL drove my car out and took his car back

Of course, living in the middle of nowhere there isn't all the fancy stuff to spend money on anymore, I work part time, my hubby took a 50% paycut. But we have much more quality time with our kids and each other. Priceless. Since then we've been moving toward being more SS. I'm very much wanting to get meat chickens, but I'm very nervous I won't be able to do the deed when their time is up.

One small step at a time.

 

[TanksHill]

Wildsky do you think you could have your husband talk to mine. I long for that drive east. I think you made an amazing decision. Your lucky you left in 2007. Heck I wish I would have sold my house then. Where abouts were you in San Diego?

g